Unloading apparatus for bottom-dump cars.



0. G. PETERSEN.

UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR BOTTOM DUMP CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12,1916.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w A i a \g Q N V EN TOR.

O. G. PETERSEN.

UNLOADING APPARATUS FOR BOTTOM DUMP CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12.1915.

1,25,?1 7, Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- IIIIIIIII "mum OLUF G. PETERSEN, OF SOMERSET, KENTUCKY.

' UNLOADIN'G APPARATUS FOR BOTTOM-DUMP CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLU'F G. PETERSEN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Somerset, county of Pulaski, and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Unloading Apparatus for Bottom-Dump Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in unloading apparatus; and the ob-' jects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in-the light of the following description of the accompanying drawings illustrating what I now believe to be the preferred mechanical expression and embodiment of my invention from among other forms, constructions and arrangements within the spirit and scope thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a tipple having a hopper with its top opening arranged below the track rails and elongated longitudinally thereof, with improved means arranged along the track to automatically release the discharge bottoms of dump cars as they approach said opening so that the lading will be deposited in said opening; and with means to automatically restore said bottoms of the cars to closed position as they pass from said opening after dumping the lading thereinto.

A further object of the invention'is to provide mechanism along a track for automatically tripping or releasing the bottom dump doors of cars as they move along said track and for controlling the opening movement of such doors to prevent sudden release of the complete mass of lading carried by the doors.

A further object of the invention is to provide car dumping mechanism for coal or other pockets or for tipples and the like, whereby cars can be automatically dumped while continuing their forward movement and also to provide means for automatically closing the dump bottoms of the cars as they move forward after dumping.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism along a track for simultaneously and automatically releasing both end dump-bottom-upholding latches of a dump car as it moves along said track to cause said car to deposit or dump its lading at a predetermined location along said track.

A further object of the invention is to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1918.

Application filed m 1916. Serial no. 108,934.

provide improved mechanism along a track for actuating means carried by a dump car moving on said track to cause discharge of the lading carried by said car and to so arrange and construct said means that it can be readily thrown to and from operative position, and so that it will yield to permit passage of projections from the car and not intended for actuation by such means.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for automatically closing dump car bottoms after dumping and as the cars moveforward from dumping position, and to arrange such apparatus so as to gradually swing the bottoms up to closed positions with a final yielding pressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements in arrangements and construction of parts with the end in view of producing a durable comparatively simple apparatus for automatically dumping cars and for restoring the drop bottoms thereof to closed position.

The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangements as more fullyand particularly set forth and specified hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1, more or less diagrammatically shows a portion of a coal or like tipple in vertical section longitudinally of a track and hopper opening. I

Fig. 2, is a top plan diagrammatically showing the track, hopper and dumping and door closing apparatus.

Fig. 3. is a cross section through thetrack diagrammatically illustrating the same and the dumping apparatus.

Fig. 4, is a top plan of a bottom dump car used in connection with the apparatus illustrated by Sheet 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the car, dotted lines showing the bottom doors in opened position. v

Fi 6, is a longitudinal view of a portion of the car.

Fig. 7. is an end view of the car.

The drawings are intended to diagram-.

trance mouth between the track rails 13, along which the dump cars are propelled to, over and from the dumping station.

In the example illustrated, the lading re-.

ceiving hopper or pocket mouth is elongated In the particular example illustrated, the

loaded cars move from left to right, and first move ahove slope 14, when passing over the dumping station, and hence mechanism for causing the cars to dump is arranged along the track in advance (to the left) of the dumping station. This mechanism comprises one or more tracks or cams for tri ping the latches or other means that ho d the dumping'bottoms or other devices of the cars, in closed position, so that these hottoms can open and dump the lading into the hopper mouth as the cars move thereover.

The specific dumping mechanism shown is particularly intended for operation 1n connection with a bottom dump car yprovided with a drop bottom composed of a pair of vertically-swingable longitudinal doors w hinged at their'outer longitudinal edges at b, and adapted to meet at their free edges 0 along the centenlongitudinal line of the car bottom when the. doors are in horizontal closed lading-sustaining position comparatively close to the road bed. These doors are arranged to hang vertically from the lower edge portions of the car sides 71. when in completely open position, and each door at both free end corners is provided w1th a rigid longitudinally projecting arm d, and these arms are arranged to project outwardly at the car ends 2' to receive latches e pivoted at f to the ends of the cars and by which the doors 'w areupheld in closed position. These latches are provided with o crating arms 9 projecting beyond opposite sldes of the car. When the arms 9 of the twoend latches are simultaneously swung upwardly, the two latches e are thereby swung laterally from the bottom door arms dand said doors are free to drop open under the weight of the lading thereon. When the doors drop, the latches automatically swing back to door upholding positlons, when the doors after dumping are swung inwardly and upwardly to closed position and suflicient upward pressure is applied thereto, the door arms will swing the latches to one side as the doors move up slightly past closed position, and the latches will then automatically drop back to normal position under said door arms and thereby automatically uphold and lock the doors in closed position.

I However, I do not wish' to limit my present invention to operation ,in connection with dump cars equipped with the specific dumping bottom constructions thus described, as my invention is capable of changes and re-arrange'ments for use in connection with dump cars having other dumping arrangements.

The particular example illustrated for purposes of explanation comprises a pair of similar tripping devices arranged at opposite sides of the track and spaced a distance apart longitudinally of the track approximately equal to the distance between the latch tripping arms 9 at opposite ends of each dump car g and arranged to engage said two arms of a car; and simultaneously swing them upward to simultaneously trip both latches e of the car and release the drop doors 'w of the car as the car moves along the track toward the hopper month. Each device shown, consists of a rail, or cam 1, arranged longitudinally of the track and having an elevated central portion, and fixed to and carried by an upright frame 2, 5, rising from the road bed and arranged beside the track. Each tripping device is preferably mounted to swing on a horizontal axis parallel with the track so that the rails A 4 or cams 1, thereof can be moved to and from operative position with respect to the latch arms of the cars. I show the tripping devices having their supporting axes carried by journal boxes 3, fixed to the road bed outside of the rails 13. The two tripping devices are preferably provided with means to normally and yieldingly hold them in operative upright ositions. Various means can be provided or this purpose, although I show the frame uprights 5, of the trippin devices extended downwardly into a suita le chamber below the roadbed and connected to counterweights 12, by flexible connections 9, traveling over pulleys 10, and constantly acting on the depending uprights 5, to swing the supporting frames of the uprights in opposite directions toward the intervening path traveled by the cars and into operative position.

I also preferably provide means whereby the tripping devices can be held from oper-. ative position against the power of their counterweights. For instance, I show a flexible pull connection 8, extending up to a point above the roadbed and there provided with a stop and pull handle, such as chain length 26, having ring 25. The pull connection 8, extends down into the chamber below the roadbed and under pulley 6*, and forms a continuation of a pair of flexible pull connections 9", extending over pulleys 6, to the depending portionsb, of

' tions, said arms swing down to normal posithe frames of the tripping devices, respectively.

The arrangement is such that an operator can pull upwardly on the chain 26, and thus through the medium of connections 8 and 9, applied to members 5, swing the tripping device frames to the positions shown by dotted lines, Fig. 3, with their car latch arm tripping rails 1, withdrawn from operative position, that is, from the path of movement of said arms as the car travels past the tripping devices. lVhen the operator has thus swung said frames from operative position, he can lock them in such position by engaging the chain 26, in the notch of a fixed plate 27, arranged on the road bed beside the track and constituting a keeper. The counterweights 12, will automatically restore the tripping devices to operative position when the chain 26, is released from the keeper 27.

When the tripping devices are in oper-.

ative position, the latch operating arms 9 of the car 3 moving toward the hopper mouth will move over the rails or cams 1, and will engage the elevated central positions thereof and be thereby swung upwardly to trip the latches e and release the drop or dump doors of the car. WVhen said arms have passed over said elevated portions and thereby swing the latches back to normal or door upholding positions above the arms d of the previously dropped doors. When the latches are thus tripped, the doors drop sufiiciently to carry their arms at below supporting shoulders of the latches, but not to ladino discharging position as the latches are preferably tripped before the car is over the hopper mouth. When the doors are thus initially released, their free edges 0 drop a short distance and slide along and are upheld by any suitable means such as a floor 14, between the tracks 13, and leading to the upper end of the hopper mouth slope. This floor prevents the doors opening sufliciently to discharge an appreciable quantity of lading until the hopper mouth is reached in the forward progress of the car. As the car passes forward over the hopper mouth, the drop doors 'w will be allowed to gradually swing down to vertical position as their rear arms 03 travel down the slope 14, thereby preventing the doors from suddenly and quickly opening and dropping the lading almost as a solid body into the hopper mouth. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the'objections against thus suddenly releasing the entire body of lading.

By permitting the doors to gradually open as the car moves forward over the hopper mouth, the lading will be more or less slowly discharged from the carand onto the slopes of the hopper mouth, and the drop doors will assume completely open vertical device.

position (dotted lines Fig. 5) hanging down in the hopper mouth and the lading will be completely discharged, before the front end arms d of the doors move into engagement with the slope 15.

Suitable means are provided at the rear of the hopper mouth (in the direction of movement of the car) and along the track, for automatically restoring the doors w to closed position.

For example, I show upwardly converging guides 24, at the rear end of the hopper mouth, designed to engage the arms (Z projecting from the front ends of the hanging dump doors of the moving empty car, and move said arms toward each other and thereby start the doors on their upward closing swing, and to deliver said arms .onto the central longitudinal upwardly inclined slide Ways 16, 17, which force the doors up to approximately closed positions. The free longitudinal edges 0 of the doors slide along the central slideway 17, and passtherefrom onto one or more upwardly projecting yieldingly-upheld rollers 18, for imparting the final upward closing thrust or pressure to the doors, hereinbefore mentioned.

In the example disclosed, I show a row of these rollers 18, arranged centrally between and longitudinally of the track rails, and carried by and mounted in the free ends of vertically swingable arms 19. fulcrumed on transverse axes 23, in a suitable frame 28, fixed in the roadbed. These arms are yieldingly pressed to their limits of upward movement by expansion springs 21, while the upward movement of the arms is limited by depending stop rods 22. The central longitudinal inclined plate or guide 20, is ar ranged at' the rear end of the frame 28, containing the row of spring arms to deflect any obstructions that might hang from the cars or motor on the return trip thereof after dumping, and prevent such obstruction catching on or forcibly engaging the spring arms and their frame.

In regular operation, when a trip or train of loaded mine cars approaches the tipple, the train man ordinarily termed trip rider runs ahead of the train, and releases the chain 26, from the keeper 27, as hereinbefore described, so that the tripdevices will be in operative position by the time the first car of the train reaches the first tripping The cars of the train pass successively into operative engagement with the tripping devices and are successively dumped into the hopper mouth and have their doors successively restored to closed position, all without stopping the train. If obstructions (other than the latch arms) project from the cars and strike the tripping devices or their frames, said devices can swing back to permit passage of such obstructions, and after,..the passage thereof the counterweights will return the devices to operative position.

After the last car of the train has passed between the trip devices, the trip rider will pull up on the chain 26, to swing the trip devices from operative position and will then insert the chain in the keeper to thus lock said devices in inoperative position. Thus when the train of empty cars returns over the track, the latch arms of the cars having their bottoms closed, will not operatively engage said devices.

If so desired, trip devices and door closing means can be arranged at both ends of the hopper opening, so that loaded cars can be dumped when reaching the hopper opening from either direction, and can have their doors closed when leaving the hopper opening from either direction.

It is evident that various changes, modifications and variations might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact disclosures hereof.

I What I claim is 1. In tipples and the like, a drop-bottomdump-car-latch tripping device arranged beside a car track of said tipple, said device being movable to and from operative position and providedwith means for yieldingly holding the same in operative position, and manually-controlled means for locking the same from operative position.

2. In tipples and the like, a drop-bottomdump-car latch tripping device comprising a counterweighted swingable frame provided with a latch operating rail, and a pull connection and keeper for holding said frame and its rail from operative position.

3. In tipples and the like, a car track leading to a lading receivingstation, tripping devices arranged beside said track and movable to and from operative position and provided with means for yieldingly holding the same in operative position to actuate the drop bottom upholding latches of dump cars and cause said doors to dump the lading, a keeper, and manually operated means for moving said devices from operative position, said means adapted to detachably engage said keeper to lock said devices from operative position.

4. In combination, a dump car having a drop bottom comprising longitudinal approximately similar drop doors hinged at their outer edge portions and approximately meeting at their free inner edges when in normal closed position, each door having free edge rigid projections at its ends, latches to engage said projections and hold the doors in normal position and to release said doors and permit them to drop by gravity to discharge the lading. operating means for said latches, a track for said car, said track extending over a discharge station, a

support just inadvance of said station onto which the free edges of said doors settle when the doors are released, and means to engage said doors and swing the same to normal position as the car leaves said station.

5. In combination, a dump car having a drop bottom comprising longitudinal approximately similar drop doors hinged at their outer edge portions and approximately meeting at their free inner edges when in normal closed position, each door having free edge rigid projections at its ends, latches to engage said projections and hold the doors in normal position and to release said doors and permit them to drop by gravity to discharge the lading. operating means for said latches,.a track for said car, said track extending over a discharge station, means along said track for simultaneously actuating said operating means to release said projections, upwardly converging inclined rails to engage the front end projections of said doors as the car moves along the track from said station and swing said doors inwardly and upwardly, and means along the track to engage the free edges of said doors and force the doors upwardly to completely closed position. I

6. In combination, a dump car having a longitudinal drop bottom, means for bolding said bottom in normal elevated closed position and for releasing the same to discharge the lading by gravity, a track along which said car is movable, said car being movable over a discharge station, a drop bottom elevating slope leading from said station and adapted to engage the free edge portion of said bottom, and a longitudinal series of spring upheld drop bottom engaging members arranged along said track and adapted to engage the free edge portion of said bottom to force the same up to completely closed position.

7. In combination, a track passing over a discharge station, a drop bottom dump car movable onsaid track provided with latch mechanism for upholding and releasing said bottom having vertically movable operating means, and trip means along the track for moving said operating means vertically to cause said car to dump, said trip means being vieldingly held to operative position toward the track and being yieldingly movable laterally in a direction away from the track to permit passage of projections from the car.

8. In combination, a track, a discharge station over which said track passes, a bottom dump car movable along said track and having longitudinally arranged gravity drop doors. latches at the opposite ends of the car for upholding and releasing said doors, operating means for said latches projecting in opposite directions from opposite ends of the car, trip means arranged along opposite sides of the track for simultaneously actuating said operating means at opposite ends of the car, and means along the track for automatically moving said doors to closed position as the car moves along the track after dumping.

9. In combination, a dump car having a drOp bottom comprising longitudinally approximately similar drop doors hinged at their outer edge portions and approximately meeting at their free inner edges when in normal closed position, each door having free edge rigid projections at its ends, latches to engage said projections and hold the doors in normal position and to release said doors and permit them to drop by gravity to discharge the lading, operating means for said latches, and a track for said car, said track extending over a discharge station.

10. In combination, a dump car having a drop bottom comprising longitudinal approximately similar drop doors hinged at their'outer edge portions and approximately meeting at their free inner edges-when in normal closed position, each door having free edge rigid projections at its ends, la tches to engage said projections and hold the doors in normal position and to release said doors and permit them to drop by gravity to discharge the lading, operating means for said latches, a track for said car, said track extending over a discharge station, and means along said track for simultaneously actuating said operating means to release said projections.

11. In combination, a dump car having a drop bottom comprising longitudinal approximately similar drop doors hinged at their outer edge portions and approximately meeting at their free inner edges when in normal closed position, said car provided with means for holding said doors in normal elevated position and for releasing said doors to permit them to drop by gravity to discharge the lading, a track along which said car is movable, said track extending over a discharge station, means at said discharge station to engage the front end portions of the free ends of the depending doors after dumping and to move said doors inwardly and upwardly toward closed position as the car moves along the track, and a slope and means for engaging the longitudinal free edge portions of said doors and forcing the doors upwardly to completely closed position after the front ends of the doors have left said station during the forward progress of the car.

12. In combination, a dump car having a. longitudinal drop bottom, means for holding said bottom in normal elevated closed position and for releasing the same to discharge the lading by gravity, a track along which said car is movable, said track extending over a discharge station, means to lift said bottom toward closed position as the car moves either end foremost from said station, and spring upheld drop bottom engaging members arranged along said track and adapted to engage the free edge portion of said bottom to force the same upto completely closed position. 7

13. In combination, a bottom dump car having a longitudinal center-discharge drop bottom to discharge the lading by gravity, means for upholding said bottom in normal position and for releasing the same to drop the lading, a track for said car passing over a discharge station, a forwardly and downwardly inclined slope at said discharge station onto which the free edges of said bottom drop and which controls the same to cause gradual discharge of the lading as said edges travel down the slope when the car moves forward either end foremost over said station, and means at said station and along the track to engage the bottom and lift the same to normal position as the car moves either end foremost from said station.

14. In combination, a car track, a dump car having drop bottoms and similar latches for upholding the same and operative from opposite sides of the car, means along opposite sides of said track adjacent to a dumping station for simultaneously tripping the latches upholding said drop bottoms of said dump car when moving either end foremost along said track, means along said track for controlling the opening movement of said bottoms as the car moves forward, and means along said track for restoring said bottoms to closed position upheld by said latches as the empty car moves forward along said track after dumping.

15. A center-discharge bottom dump car having bottom-forming drop doors with their free edges arranged approximately at the longitudinal central line of the car when elevated to closed position, and latch means extending to both sides of the car for nor mally upholding said doors in closed lading supporting position, in combination with a tipple or the like, having a car track for said car and a dumping stationalong said track, said tipple provided with means along both sides of said track to simultaneously engage said latch means and cause said' drop doors to automatically swing down under the weight of the lading and discharge the same between the track rails whilesaid car is traveling along said track either end foremost.

16. In combination, a drop bottom dum car, a tipple or the like having a car tracl: and a lading receiving station along said track, said tipple provided with means to automatically release the drop bottoms of dump cars and cause discharge of the lading while said cars are traveling along said track either end foremost, and With means to engage the open bottoms'and automatically close the same while said cars are moving along said track either end foremost.

17. In combination, a dump car having drop bottoms, a tipple or the like having a car track, and a hopper mouth opening upwardly between the rails of the track and having a slope inclined downwardly longitudinally of said track to engage the rear end corner portions of and permit gradual opening of the drop bottoms of said dump car while moving along said track over said hopper mouth either end foremost, substantially as described.

18. In combination, a lading receiving station, a car track arranged over said station, a dump car movable along said track and having a pair of gravity drop bottoms approximately meeting at their longitudinal free edges along the central portion of the car when in normal elevated lading-upholcL ing position, means for upholding the bottoms in normal position, devices for operating said means to release said bottoms and permit them to drop under the weight of lading thereon, means along the track to engage the same, a slope at said station to engage the free edge portions of said bottoms when the car is moving either end foremost and permit gradual downward and outward movement thereof and discharge of-the lading, and means for swinging said bottoms inwardly and upwardly to normal position.

19. In combination, a dump car having a pair of drop bottoms approximately meettoms as the car moves either end foremost over said station and permit gradual downward and outward movement of said bottoms to cause gradual discharge of the lading, means to engage the free edge portions of said bottoms as the car moves along the track from said station and upwardly to normal position, means carried by the car for upholding said bottoms in normal position, and devices for operating said means to release said bottoms.

20. In combination, a dump car having a drop bottom, means for upholding the bottom in normal position sustaining the lading and for releasing the same to permit discharge of the lading by gravity, a track for said car passing over a discharge station, a support between the ails of said track just in advance of said station to uphold said bottom when released, a downwardly inclined slope permitting gradual discharge of the ladingat said discharge station and onto which said bottom drops from said support and down which it slides as the car moves forward either end foremost over said station, and means for automatically elevating and closing said bottom as the car moves either end foremost from said station.

OLUE G. PETERSEN. 

